


Nothing to Worry About

by Zphal



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-16
Updated: 2012-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-10 03:02:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/461513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zphal/pseuds/Zphal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is determined to show Bruce there's nothing about cutting loose and having some fun to worry about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Need to Get Out

"Tony, I'm not going 'clubbing' with you."

The salt-and-peppered brunette looked across at him through the drop-down screen, those tresses all askew about his face from too many hours in a lab and too few in bed (most of which were spent tossing and turning rather than getting any actual sleeping done). Tony cocked his head to the side. A little bit of pomade-- okay, maybe a lot-- would fix that right up. Then he'd let Bruce borrow one of his tuxedos and a tasteful tie-- he only had dozens of them. Oh and definitely a pair of Giovannis; he couldn't be seen wearing the awful loafers he was currently-- where were those from, Payless Shoe Source? The innovator tsk'd. A shave to rid him of that 5'oclock shadow, give his nails a trim-- good God, he had _heard_ of clippers, hadn't he?-- a little spritz of cologne on his collar… Yeah, he could have the physicist looking sharp in no time, Tony had no doubt. The older of the two men gave his lab partner a moment more to reconsider, throwing in a doe-eyed pout for good measure. However, Bruce didn't even seem to falter. The look was a very serious one, like there would be no convincing this time, no meant no.

"Come on, Bruce," he tried again anyway. "You need to get out."

"No, 'getting out' is the _last_ thing I need." Dr. Banner shook his head and returned his attention to the screen in front of him, hunkering over it.

Tony gave a soft frustrated huff under his breath, rolling his eyes dramatically. He'd known this would be difficult, but he hadn't expected to be brushed off quite so easily, or quickly. In fact if there was one thing Tony Stark hated, it was being ignored, and Dr. Banner was doing an exemplary job of just that. He switched gears and went for a different approach, leaning a palm on the work desk casually. "Well I don't want to go alone."

That earned him an incredulous, if brief, glance. The scientist pushed his glasses up higher onto the bridge of his wide nose as he squinted at something on-screen that had just popped up. "So take Pepper."

Well, that was the obvious answer. The suggestion sparked a memory of dodging dishware after Tony had insinuated how much he'd enjoy a threesome between her and a cute redhead he'd met at the bar less than an hour prior-- he swore to this day it was nothing more than a joke, not that he wouldn't have gone along with said joke had she said yes, but that really wasn't the point here. "Last time I went clubbing with Pepper it was a disaster," he spoke. When Bruce gave him a look over the ridge of his glasses, he realized 'disaster' had probably been a poor choice of word considering who he was talking to, but he didn't retract the sentiment. Tony stepped closer and threw his arm over the physicist's shoulders. "Listen, I know why you're worried. And I'm telling you, there's nothing to worry about."

Bruce gave a soft sigh, shoulders sagging beneath his grip. "I _could_ use a drink." The side of his lip curled upward ever so slightly, just a hint of mischief behind controlled countenance. "No thanks to you."

Tony Stark gave a wide grin, clapping the other man on the back and pointing a finger at him. "Now that's what I wanted to hear." He gave a visibily-excited flourish, already on the move. "Let's go up to my suite and hit up my wardrobe. I'm 99.8% sure I have something purple that will fit you."

Dr. Banner's smirk became a genuine smile and he closed out his program files to follow along in his steps.

JARVIS had been listening in and upon seeing them on their way out of the laboratory, he saw fit to speak up. "Shall I inform Miss Potts where you are headed, sir?"

The 'playboy' gave a negative motion of his hand. "Ah, let's keep all this on the down-low, shall we, JARVIS?"

"Should she inquire as to your whereabouts--" the AI began; Tony interrupted him.

"Alternative Energy Demo. Nothing I could do. Had to go," he quickly fabricated.

If JARVIS could nod, the program would have. "Have fun this evening, sir. And you as well, Dr. Banner."

"Thanks, JARVIS," the physicist said with subtle amusement.

 

"We're _supposed_ to be keeping my heart rate down," Bruce reminded when the wheels had finally stopped their squealing. Tony glanced over at him, too obviously pleased with himself for having run the red light through the busy city intersection, leaving a lot of rubber and nearly getting them T-boned in the process-- if the honking still echoing in his ears was any indication.

"And I fully trust you to do that, Dr. Banner," came the retort from the clever lips. The innovator shifted up to fifth and poured on the gas, tearing down the road at a speed that was well over the posted limit.

Bruce just kept his mouth tightly sealed. There was no sense in arguing with Tony and he knew it. Even if he felt there was a distinct lack of concern on the other man's part-- not just a lack, Tony had developed a dare-devil attitude to the whole 'turning into an enormous green rage monster thing' (as he so _delicately_ put it). He was practically _trying_ to see if he could get him riled up. If something _were_ to happen now, Bruce was positive he'd be shredding about three-thousand dollars worth of formal attire and totalling fifty times that worth of sports car. No, Tony was well-aware of the potential damages, and he was _flaunting_ the fact that he wasn't concerned.

Typical Tony Stark.

Bruce gave a little sigh. Part of him was still leery about the fact he'd let Tony drag him out, though another part was taking the other scientist's words to heart-- he couldn't be holed up in the laboratory 24/7 (even though he often acted as though he could), and that going… clubbing… was one way _some_ people chose to relax.

Of course by 'some people' he meant people like Tony Stark, who was currently singing along to the AC/DC blaring from the speakers as the wind tugged at his gel-held locks. Both his hands were tapping loosely against the steering wheel in time to the riffs, his white teeth gleaming and framed by an immaculately trimmed Van Dyke, while his eyes remained hidden behind dark sunglasses. It was like the man _emanated_ energy. Well, technically, thanks to the reactor implanted in his chest, he _did_ emanate energy, but that was a different matter entirely. Bruce folded his arms to keep his hands from fidgeting, running his shortened nails up and down his forearms that had become anxiously itchy. In a way he kind of envied the carefree exhibitionism Tony displayed; he got so much enjoyment out of _life_ …

Bruce shook his head gently. He shouldn't be brooding. He went back to studying the skyscrapers as they went zipping by.

It was only a couple minutes later when the Audi R8 slowed, and the scientist looked up to watch as Tony pulled into the valet area and brought the vehicle to a halt. In the blink of an eye, he had shut off the sound system, put on the e-brake, unbuckled, and was opening the door to stand as if it were one fluid motion; he handed off his keys to one of the well-dressed younger gentlemen to drive the sports car away. Bruce hurried to remove himself from the vehicle as well, lest he get left behind like a piece of baggage. Momentarily he became entwined with the seatbelt, a bit distracted by the sheer amount of people lined up at the doors to the club to get in.

Tony was there on the passenger's side by the time he'd somehow gotten disentangled and stepped out. It was almost as if he'd teleported on the spot; it gave the physicist a little jump to be honest, but he didn't let on. "Hey, what's taking you?" the older man asked with a friendly grin. He'd removed his shades so that his dark brown eyes shone with what Banner could only describe as pure enthusiasm. Stark inclined his head towards the joint. "We don't want to miss Happy Hour. Let's get a move on."

Bruce followed, but he found himself wringing his hands as he quickly sized-up the line in groupings, his eyes darting back and forth. Ten… twenty… forty… eighty… there had to be at least a hundred people just standing in _line_. That was a hundred lives at stake simply because of his presence here. And who knew how many more were inside. His lips pursed worriedly and he managed to catch Tony's arm, forcing him to slow his steps.

"Tony, there are a lot of people here…" he breathed urgently to the other scientist, trying not to draw too much attention to the either of them. Easier said than done considering Tony was… well, Tony.

The man-made-icon seemed to merely light up at the words, standing up a little taller as he glanced over to where Bruce's gaze was fixed. "Are there?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, that's no problem at all, I can get us right in," he patted him on the side of the arm. "A little perk about being the life of the party is they don't make you wait to get in," he winked and tugged him along before he could get in another word edgewise.

Which left Dr. Banner wondering if his voiced concern had _actually_ gone over Tony's head or if the engineer had simply played it off that way in order to dismiss the subject. Bruce had a suspicion it was the latter, but he focused on taking a deep breath and trying not to think too much about it as they approached the roped-off doors and the two large men standing intimidatingly on either side of the threshold. He would have described them as 'hulking' if, well, you know, the other guy couldn't throw them around like a pair of ragdolls. It was really all a matter of perspective.

"Evening, Tony," the bouncer on the left greeted, stepping aside for the duo.

"And good evening to you, Dick, Rick," Tony smiled and nodded to each large man, obviously on a first-name basis with them, due no doubt to the frequency of his attendance to the particular nightclub. "Lavender, that's a… mellow choice," he said in passing backhanded compliment, refering to the tie around Dick's neck. "Bet that sets everyone right at ease, takes their mind off the meathooks." He proceeded forward and Bruce followed.

The physicist was startled however when a large, firm hand placed itself against his chest, his heart giving a couple rapid beats against his ribcage. He wasn't used to being touched, especially not in an aggressive manner and he had to mentally tell himself it was all a part of their job. _It's nothing personal, big guy, easy,_ he thought to himself.

"Who's this you have with you tonight?" the right bouncer asked.

"This here?" Tony grabbed him around the shoulders to hug sideways, bunching the formal jacket he'd been lent. The billionaire's mouth kicked into over-drive. "This is Bruce, bit of a genius-- much like myself-- but you probably haven't heard of him… doesn't get out much. We're trying to fix that. He's kind of what you'd call my main squeeze." He paused, whether for effect or to draw a breath, Bruce wasn't sure which. "So be nice," Tony insisted, peeling the bouncer's hand away. "And treat others the way you'd like them to treat you," he imparted with a poke to Rick's front. The bouncer lifted a puzzled eyebrow, painfully unaware of what lie underneath the meek form that could possibly pose a threat, but he let them both through.

"Nice going back there," Bruce commented appreciatively once they were out of earshot.

"Oh, go on," Tony replied with a dismissive wave of his hand as they walked down the darkened corridor. "No, seriously. Go on," he joked and then his face lit up again-- this time with the dancing of multicolored club lights. He clapped his hands in a manner that could only be described as gleeful.

Bruce turned his head and felt his adam's apple bob in his throat at the sight of the dozens upon dozens of swaying bodies out on the dance floor before them. The place was already hopping, even this early in the evening, and he had no doubt that it would only continue to get more crowded and busy as the night wore on. Throbbing, head-pounding music set the tempo for the dancers movements, the vibrations of the bass carrying through the floor beneath their feet and reverberating off the high ceiling. He could feel his pulse in his temples. He wouldn't be walking out of here later without a headache-- he just had to pray that he used one of the designated exits rather than bust through one of the walls.

 

Bruce's eyes seemed to be far away, lost somewhere else in thought. "Hey," Tony stepped close to him to be heard over the thumping music, "Bar's this way." He hooked his thumb in the proper direction and the other man gave an almost timid nod of acknowledgement. He watched him closely, somewhat experimentally-- let's be honest-- as the phsyicist moved along beside him, retaining an impressive quietude despite the raucous atmosphere. Then again, this guy had lived in places known for being hotbeds of catatrophe and political scandal. Somehow he kept his cool, even if he kept the secret of how close to him.

The bar scene was a little less congested, and less noisy as well. Tony found them a couple of seats at a two-person table in no time and motioned at the bartender to send someone over, but almost immediately his attention was back on the greying man in front of him. "So, what's your poison? On me."

Bruce gave a soft chuckle, glancing away. "Ah… I don't know…" he hesitated a moment, licking his lips. He gave a nervous drum of his fingers on the table. "I guess a caipirinha."

"Cultured," the innovator tilted his head with a delighted smile. A waitress approached and he lifted his hand to flourish at her as he ordered. "A vodka soda and a caipirinha, chop chop!" He clapped twice and she was off. Tony leaned out over the table, clasping his hands together. "That's what… Brazilian?" he tested his own knowledge of the beverage's origin.

"Yeah," Bruce responded with the shrug of a single shoulder, unable to be more aloof. "I spent some time there." Then his brown eyes were elsewhere again.

Tony leaned back then, crossing his legs and giving his beard a quick stroke. "Oh yeah? You don't say? What were you researching there?" he asked, eager to get his compatriot to open up about his life prior to joining the Avengers and taking 'temporary' residence in Stark Tower. The man was only three years his junior and he'd been all over the world according to what Tony had discerned from SHIELD's file on him. Tony had been all over the world too, of course, but he usually stuck to the best of what the countries had to offer in accommodations. Besides, he was as interested in Bruce as he was in Bruce's 'condition'-- they were all pieces to the complicated puzzle which he was dead-set on assembling.

The nuclear phsyicist didn't look like he particularly wanted to answer that question. "Botany, mostly," he elaborated emotionlessly.

Tony could have laughed aloud. "The big guy like picking flowers?" he joked.

Bruce didn't appear particularly amused, folding his hands into his lap. "At the time I'd hoped it could lead me to a cure."

Well, that was definitely a mood-killer. He didn't have to ask to know what Bruce had been researching a cure for. Tony winced and gave a little cough into his hand, but thankfully it was that moment when their drinks showed up. He gave the waitress a little appreciative nod and was quick to bring the beverage to his lips and gulp down a significant portion. The gentle sting of the alcohol brought his brash attitude right back to the surface as it if had never been quelled. "So he _didn't_ like picking flowers then? Because I'd think that would be a nice, calming activity…"

Thank God, Bruce actually gave a little chuckle, salvaging the moment. "He took to it okay; we learned a lot." The physicist took a small sip of his bright green-colored beverage (so fitting, Tony thought) avoiding the lime perched on the ridge, and then lifted his gaze challengingly across the table. "But I wouldn't expect you to know anything about botany. 'Nice, calming activities' aren't really your style."

Tony bristled at the accusation of a gap in his scientific know-how (even though the study of plant-life was about as far removed from industrial and weapons technology as you could get), though he was in equal part delighted by the man's subtle playfulness in making the jab. Now that the gauntlet had been thrown down, he couldn't very well ignore it. "Try me," he said confidently.

Bruce set his drink back on the table. "Taraxacum officinale," the Latin slipped off his tongue with an ease that was almost sensual, inducing shivers at the base of Tony's spine.

"Uh--" was the not-so-smooth answer that left his mouth. If JARVIS was here, the AI could have looked that up for him in a jiffy and he'd be all set. Scientific classifications for $500, please. "Who speaks Latin? It's a dead language," he stalled as he wracked his brain for an answer.

"Natasha does," Bruce pointed out.

Oh yeah. _Her_. He should've remembered that. Tony gave a snort of slight contempt. "Maybe it should be her in this chair instead of me then. You two could converse in Latin until the sun came up. Maybe throw in a little Russian just to spice things up. You know Russian, don't you? I can't imagine you don't." After all, Bruce seemed to know everything else. And God, was that sexy.

"It's your common dandelion," the physicist-- or apparently Mr. Super-Smart _Botanist_ \-- illuminated. He was wearing a half-grin to have so easily stumped the self-proclaimed genius.

"Right, yeah, dandelion. I knew that," Tony shrugged as if the matter were entirely trivial, tossing back the rest of his vodka soda. "I could have gotten it, you know. You just didn't give me enough time to answer."

Bruce chuckled again, a soft and controlled noise that just barely brushed his vocal chords, and Tony decided right then and there that making the other scientist smile was quite possibly one of his new favorite things to do. In fact, now that he knew so, he was going to continue to do so as much as he could, just to show that he could. Because he was Tony Stark goddamn it.

"Let's see if you can translate this," Tony boasted. He fixed the tie at his neck and cleared his throat professionally. "Iway eednay anotherway inkdray!"

"I have this feeling I'm going to be driving the R8 back when you're completely smashed," Bruce said before taking another sip.

"I thought smashing was the big guy's job," Tony teased, watching the other man's face metamorphosize into a look of 'I can't believe you went there'. He signalled to the waitress, going on. "And you'd probably drive it like my grandmother."


	2. The Equation

As impressive as a feat it was, Tony had successfully managed to break the ice between them. Bruce didn't know if he should be surprised or embarrassed that he'd loosened up, as if Tony had the proper screwdriver for the screws keeping the casing on his caution, then reached in to yank some of the wires and re-program his mood.

He was actually on his third drink now (though he was pacing himself with some mixed nuts provided by the bar), which was more alcohol he'd allowed himself to ingest than in… well, he couldn't even remember how long it had been. The truth of the matter was, when you were in charge of keeping a 'rage-monster' at bay inside you, mind-altering substances were best avoided. Not that getting blind-stinking drunk wasn't something he'd _wished_ he could do from time to time to forget it all, but not awakening with the blood of innocents on his hands took precedence. As he was currently though, his concern had nearly evaporated-- he felt at ease, relaxed… cheerful even.

It had been even longer since he had felt an emotion like that.

Tony was slurping a margarita that had come after his 'Nuclear' Iced Tea that had come after his gin and tonic that had come after his sake and et cetera-- all of which supported Dr. Banner's former hypothesis that his billionaire lab partner was going to be completely plastered by the time they left. So much for doing any late night lab work; he'd be carrying Tony over his shoulder to drop him onto his California King-sized bed. Bruce gave a surprised lift of his eyebrows, realizing then he hadn't even been keeping track of the time as he glanced at the watch on his left wrist. After nine o'clock. They'd already been here for two hours-- he didn't know where the time had gone!

"Mm… This is good. You should try it," Tony gave a slight slur as he held the conical glass flute out at him. When he didn't take it right away, Tony motioned it more insistently, almost spilling the liquid.

"That's your reasoning for a lot of things, isn't it?" Bruce asked as he took the beverage carefully away from the soused scientist before it ended up in his lap and earned the borrowed slacks a trip to the dry cleaners.

"If something's good, it's good. Nothing wrong with a little -hic- self-indulgence," Tony stated his logic while jabbing the table with his index finger, though it seemed he was expending more brain power on keeping his eyes from crossing.

Bruce gave a soft noise somewhere between a chuckle and a thoughtful hum. It wasn't always true, in fact he could name plenty of times it _wasn't_ , but he'd let Tony have his way this time. He brought the glass to his lips and took a slow sip, closing his eyes as he savored the sweetness of the crystalized sugar coating the outer rim. When he looked up, he found Tony was watching him very intently, eyes unblinking and pupils rivetted, though soon the older man snapped out of his trance. "See? What did I say? Good, right? I told you it was."

"Yeah," Bruce agreed warily, made a little self-conscious by the way Tony had been staring at him; he was used to a few odd looks now and again, but Tony's look felt… different, from those at least. He handed back the drink. "Think we should be heading back to your Tower soon?" he inquired. He gave a pause, then went on to pull his lab partner's leg, "I don't know how long your 'Energy Demo' was 'scheduled' for."

The other scientist shot up from his seat like a rocket. "We couldn't possibly go yet!" Tony exclaimed as if it were out of the question. He wobbled a bit on his feet briefly. "At least not until we've gotten to dance!"

That response really threw Bruce for a loop. "Dance…?" he trailed off, his eyes worriedly returning to the floor where said activity was occurring. For one, he had two left feet. For another, he wasn't sure what the big guy inside him would think of being bumped and jostled from all sides… a mosh pit was no place for a Hulk.

"Absolutely! You can't say you've been clubbing until you've added dancing to the equation! Come on," Tony insisted, grabbing him by the hands in a completely unexpected manner. Bruce found himself being stiffly pulled up from his seat… not exactly resisting, but not going completely willingly either. The tactile feel of the other man's rough palms on his own was… well, it was making his mouth dry. He started to issue an objection, but it just came out as a flustered splutter. "C'mon, Bruce, you have to," his compatriot didn't let up, tugging him along by the arms further and further from the bar and closer to the swaying masses.

Bruce wet his lips. Why was he letting Tony do this? This was _dangerous_. This wasn't playtime. A dozen people could be killed with a single back-handed swipe of the other guy's hand.

Yet he didn't fight it. He just let the other man take control of the situation, let him guide him into the crowd. It wasn't that he thought Tony knew best-- in fact he knew Tony _didn't_ , especially with how buzzed the billionaire was-- but Bruce justified it as not wanting to disappoint his friend by not at least trying a little dancing. Before he knew it, Tony had drug him all the way out to the middle of the floor, surrounded by moshing patrons, and he was wearing what was possibly the biggest shit-eating grin he'd ever seen on the engineer's face. "See? That's not so bad, is it? Not even a hint of green!" the dark brows lifted as he released the grip he'd had on him, leaving his hands empty and a little clammy.

Bruce glanced hesitantly to either side as he wiped his palms off on his pants; he was surprised he wasn't even feeling the stirrings of his alternate self in his chest, like the Hulk had gone dormant. It took him a moment to process that everything was okay.

"Now, are you going to dance or not?" Tony asked impatiently, already beginning to gyrate in time to the beat himself. "You look pretty silly just _standing_ out here. Everyone's going to start staring if you don't get moving. And I wouldn't blame them, it _is_ a dance floor, not a standing floor." He did a flashy little spin on the heels of his dress shoes, getting into it, but nearly falling over due to the inebriation interfering with his equilibrium. He looked natural out here, unlike himself.

Dr. Banner gave an embarrassed fidget. He'd expended so much worry on the other guy's presence he hadn't thought to worry about how awkward dancing itself would actually be. He knew a few moves, but they were from real dances-- the foxtrot, waltz, tango… jitterbug was probably the closest he knew to the freestyle bouncing and rocking everyone else was doing. He spent a few long seconds listening to the beat pounding out of the speakers (it wasn't really his kind of music, but it did have an invigorating tempo). It didn't take him too long to get a foot tap going, letting it work its way to his legs as he sashayed back and forth, soon letting the soles of his shoes rise, twist, shuffle…

"There it is!" Tony exclaimed approvingly, "I knew you knew how to boogie!" A flicker of a smile graced Bruce's face. They were forced to stay in close proximity thanks to the others dancing around them-- normally Bruce would have felt claustrophobic in the circumstance (he'd never been a people person even before the accident), but having Tony there with him seemed to block out the rest of the crowd, create a spherical aura of some kind where he felt free to move and shake. God, had he ever danced like this? Maybe at a couple of 'wild' parties back as an undergrad, but the years had made his memory fuzzy. He would have felt self-conscious except those caipirinhas were doing their job.

Tony gave him a very intentional bump with his shoulder, knocking him halfway off-balance. Bruce caught himself with a laugh, quickly readjusting his spectacles from where they'd slipped partway down his nose before retaliating against his lab partner with his hip. That got the innovator to lift a thrilled eyebrow and soon it was an entire of game of nudging and prodding as one song blurred indistinctly into the next. To think, he was going to spend his night all alone in the lab and let Tony have all this fun without him. Maybe now he could say he was glad he'd let the other man drag him out here. He gave his partner a wide smile. Tony returned it, but when the playboy swept in from behind to put his mouth close to his ear, Bruce nearly froze in place.

"What did I tell you? Nothing to worry about…" he felt the other scientist's breath hot on his neck, creeping down his collar, and it made the little hairs at his nape stand on end.

Tony retreated as quickly as he'd moved in, back to dancing with a carefree, tireless abandon, leaving Bruce to slow his heart that wasn't the other guy trying to escape but something else entirely.

 

The night was going perfect. No. Better than perfect. Perfect would have been if everything had gone according to plan. But he wasn't planning anything anymore, just going with the flow, and so was Bruce. And that made it _better_ than perfect. Tony was willing to bet the other man's cheeks were beginning to get sore from smiling so damn much without being used to it. It was wonderful to see him beam like that-- like Tony had successfully flipped a switch in the other scientist's brain, discovered an uncharted part of his personality that he wanted to document and study late, late into the night…

Oh, and he'd started to flirt with him. But that was just one of those things Tony did best.

Besides, the physicist wasn't exactly doing much to reject his gradually growing advances. First the nudging, then the closeness, and shortly after that the heated exchanges of one another's eyes. Dr. Banner had such lovely irises-- Tony had decided that too. Though only in his dreams was he liable to watch them make the shift from brown to green. Or green to brown. He wasn't picky.

An hour or so later when they'd both grown over-warm from dancing in the stuffiness of the club, Tony saw fit to hook his arm into Bruce's elbow and drag him towards the outdoor area of the nightclub. It had a good number of trees in planters, the trunks of which were entwined with string lights, winding walkways, a pool with a tall diving board, as well as a bubbling spa and an enormous ice sculpture of what tonight was a lion, posed mid-roar.

Tony hooked his thumb at it. "How far do you think you could lob that?" he asked as he loosened the tie around his neck to give himself some ventilation. The cool air was a very welcome relief on his skin.

Bruce laughed and sized it up. "Halfway across Manhattan, probably," he managed to make the guess sound humble. The physicist slung his coat over a shoulder and began rolling up his sleeves an arm at a time. Tony watched the action inconspicuously as he had several times in the lab; Dr. Banner often did so to get his cuffs out of the way of what he was doing. Funny how a man who often ripped his way through his clothing on a regular basis was additionally so meticulous about keeping it just so.

Tony just wished he could get a little more than the teaser that was the dusting of hair on Bruce's forearms and, sometimes, chest. He wasn't including the big guy of course-- he'd seen _most_ of that, minus the goods themselves, which he could guess were probably proportionally sized. Tony gave a little cough into his sleeve at the train of thought his mind had taken and distracted himself by glancing about the area.

Which was when another thought hit him. One that could potentially get him what he wanted.

"You under-sell yourself," the innovator spoke, quickly returning to where the conversation had left off. He lifted up a single finger to make a motion with it as they strolled side by side along the walkway, Tony subtly angling them towards the pool area. "How do you expect to be successful like me if you don't brag a little? I keep telling you, you have to step it up, big guy," he gave him a light shove with his elbow, giving him a hard time. "'Oh, that puny thing?'" he mimed in example, "'I could hurl that into the upper troposphere, and by the time it came back down it'd be the size of a hailstone.'"

As if on cue, a small group of paparazzi intercepted their path, cameras flashing and flocking around the two heroes. Tony instinctively put on a show-offish grin. Bruce was caught in a few of the shots before he managed to duck partially out of view behind the older scientist, putting his back to the focus of the majority of the photographers. His action caused Tony to frown slightly, realizing his friend had been made uncomfortable, and he waved off the insistent camerapeople, who thankfully, sensing there wouldn't be any more good shots for them to take, moved on, though there were a few retreating snapshots. Dr. Banner looked up a moment later, glancing around to make sure they were alone once more.

"Like right there. That was your perfect opportunity to flaunt a little bit of your stuff," Tony said, giving Bruce a back-handed smack on the chest. "Give 'em a flex, give 'em a roar." He pretended to show off his muscles in a Hulk-y fashion. "You'd be as popular as me in no time, making headlines, the front of magazine covers."

"I don't think I could handle the amount of publicity you get," Dr. Banner chuckled softly, obviously not taking his words very seriously. He gave a nervous rub to each of his elbows. "Got enough off the Chitauri. The press is still trying to get me in for an interview…"

"Well, suit yourself," Tony feigned affront. Personally, he'd eaten up every opportunity to re-tell and revel in his heroics that had saved the island from the inbound nuclear warhead. Out of the follow-up questions, almost inevitably one or more addressed the rumors regarding the fact that the Hulk had caught him right out of the sky on his plummet from the portal in space. But Tony couldn't offer much comment on the matter beyond that it had happened. And sometimes, yeah, he wondered about it himself. The big guy certainly hadn't been as protective of the other members of the Avengers during the fray-- he'd even socked one to Thor (not that Tony hadn't wanted to plant one square on the demi-god's obtuse chin at times as well, but the broken knuckles or damaged suit, if he decided to go that route, probably wouldn't be worth it).

Bruce sighed. "I guess I'm just concerned it could end badly." A tired chuckle left his throat. "I'm more _used_ to things ending badly."

Tony shook his head and clapped his friend on the back. "You're a hero now, Bruce," he reminded the man. "You helped save the entire city… thousands of lives." He began to motion with his hand. "Things aren't the way they used to be. You don't have to hide. Everyone loves you! There's--"

"Nothing to worry about," the physicist finished his sentence for him patronizingly. "I know."

Stark took a deep breath, realizing this conversation wasn't going anywhere productive. At least not right now, so it would probably be best if he dropped it. He licked his lips and went for a brief moment of honesty. "Listen, I'm just glad you haven't run off to Outer Mongolia or wherever the Hell to get away from all of it. I know it must be tempting for you."

Bruce turned his head to peer at him curiously. Tony was caught like a deer in the headlights, and he looked away quickly as if doing so could disguise that he'd just let on to enjoying the presence of another human being, rather than a piece of hardware. It felt like Bruce was taking him apart piece by piece with his eyes to examine all the components, but eventually the physicist broke his scrutinizing gaze. "I wouldn't recommend Mongolia… but I think I'm supposed to say 'you're welcome'." There was that little telling smile again.

Tony quickly turned his head away and committed his hands to his pockets. The words got him thinking-- why _was_ Bruce still around? Why hadn't he run off yet as per his nature? There had to be a reason, and it had to be a pretty damn good one because according to those SHIELD records, Bruce never stuck around anywhere for too long.

It couldn't actually be for _him_ , could it?

Tony coughed into his hand, remembering to speak. "Ah. Well. It's nice to have someone to talk to. You know, who speaks 'English'." _Oh, come on, Tony, you can do better than that,_ he thought. Was he seriously losing his game right now? He could be sealing the deal. Wait. What deal? Was there a deal? He wanted there to be, but he didn't know if Bruce was on the same page. They had to be on the same page by now, didn't they?

Dr. Banner paused thoughtfully again. "No disagreement here." The brown eyes conveyed a deep sincerity. They held gazes.

Tony was a spontaneous person. It wasn't a secret. He knew it. Bruce knew it. In a quick motion he advanced on the physicist. He brought his hands up towards Banner's face…

And toppled his lab partner into the pool.

 

Admittedly, Bruce didn't often know what to expect out of Tony Stark, but he definitely hadn't anticipated falling, arms flailing, backwards into eight feet of cold water.

Had anyone else done it, he was certain he'd be green and flinging pool chairs by now.

"You're such a jackass sometimes," Bruce said to his companion as he emerged sopping wet from the swimming pool. "It's a wonder anyone puts up with you." He stepped off the top rung of the ladder, the dress shoes squeltching under his weight, and he held his arms out to his sides as water ran down and out the cuffs to the ground. All in all, he was pretty sure he looked a fair amount like an Antarctic penguin. He was about as chilled as one.

"Aww, I was just having some fun," Tony said in his own defense, after he'd gotten done laughing, of course, which he was doing an incredibly poor job of disguising behind his hand.

Bruce leaned over a touch to attempt to ring out his purple tie, which was well-saturated with the heavily chlorinated water. "How does pushing me into the drink translate to 'fun'?" he asked. He gave a sudden squint through his glasses, realizing now that the lenses were coated in droplets, rendering him barely able to see anything through them.

"Well I didn't say _you_ were having fun, I said _I_ was," Tony clarified. "And in my defense, I usually like to think that it's me putting up with everyone else, rather than the other way around." He snagged a white towel off a nearby unattended dolly and tossed it to him.

The physicist caught the cloth as it billowed through the air. He wanted to be irritated at Tony, he really did, but for some reason he just couldn't be. Maybe it helped that he knew Tony didn't mean any harm by the prank. The whole thing was sort of laughable. Bruce shook his head with a chuckle and wiped clean his spectacles first before anything else. He then ran the terricloth over his head, turning his hair into an even more ruffled mess than usual, before draping it around his neck so the slick curls could continue to drain into it. A slight breeze moved past, causing him to shiver beneath the wet clothing.

"I mean, look at it this way, now you don't need a shower, I saved you some time," Tony motioned with his hand, grinning from ear-to-ear. The engineer moved over to him to put his arm over his damp shoulders. "But we should probably get you home before you freeze. I'll roll up the top on the R8. We can even turn on the heat if you like. Makes for an early night, but that's alright." He gave him a little shake and smile. "Can't expect to completely transform you into a party animal in a single night."

Bruce nodded, appreciative of the decision on the older man's part, but his wording left him a little speechless. Tony hadn't ever referred to Stark Tower as 'home' before when speaking to him. Yes, he'd been staying there, doing work there and all that, but he hadn't really equated that to it being what one would refer to as a _home_.

Which left him pondering as they made their way back through the still-populated nightclub out to the parking garage, what made some place a home? Was it the fact that you returned there at the end of each day? Because he'd done that… with over a dozen places, until circumstances forced him to move, of course. But he never would have referred to any of them as 'home'. Was it related to ownership? That home was some place, by the fruit of your labor, that you could call 'yours'? After all, in times when he'd been on the run, he'd essentially been a vagabond, not settling for weeks at a time and sleeping wherever he could find a place to rest his head for a few hours. Or was it perhaps that a home was the place where the people you cared about-- who cared about _you_ \-- also lived?

Bruce let his gaze shift to the other scientist as he requested the valet to fetch his car.

"You're quiet, big guy," Tony Stark noticed. "What, do I get the 'silent treatment' the rest of the night? Because Pepper's tried that on more than one occasion. And I'll just give you a heads-up right now, it's not really effective as a punishment. Because I can pretty much hold a conversation with myself-- it's not even difficult. Like for instance..." he started.

"I was just thinking," Bruce interrupted to assure his companion with a shy smile.

Tony made an "Ah," noise and rocked on his feet.

Soon the R8 was returned to them, and Tony made good on both the top and the heat, and what do you know if he didn't drive a little slower and more cautiously too. The powerhouse of an engine rumbled as they rolled down the road, the streetlights reflecting on the paned windows of the skyscrapers, creating bright streaks as the blocks slid past one by one on their way to Stark Tower which glowed in the distance.

It was obvious to Bruce that Tony really cared about him, even if pushing him into a pool was a funny way to show it.

He cleared his throat. "Tony, I've been meaning to say… well, more thank you really…" he started out awkwardly, and now he'd done it, he had his lab partner's attention-- Tony was looking across at him, even though his eyes should have been forward on his driving (though for all he knew, the engineer had an auto-pilot built-in… well, Bruce _hoped_ he did).

"For what?" Stark asked, compelling him to go on.

"Just… for putting up with me," he chose to use the innovator's own words. He sunk a little lower into the leather seat, avoiding Tony's gaze. "You're right, I mean, there are probably dozens of people more fun and interesting than I am that you could have taken out tonight and--"

"You're kidding me, right?" Tony interrupted. His apparent incredulty made Banner even do a double-take, stopping mid-sentence. "Bruce, you are _fantastic_ company. You _get_ me. I can talk about anything to you without dumbing it down or explaining it twice. You know how many _other_ people I can say that about?" he asked as he brought the car to a halt at the red light in front of them.

Bruce shrugged non-committally. "I don't know."

"None," Tony said with enough firmness it kind of left the physicist dumbstruck. "Let me let you in on _my_ 'little secret', Bruce. I know you think I have a bunch of friends, but what I really have is a bunch of people who _call_ themselves my friends. They invite themselves to my events and my shows and my parties, to eat my food and drink my alcohol at my open bar and trash my place. And that's fine, what's a party without a few variables and unknowns? I'm cool with that. It's cool." Bruce blinked, listening carefully as the engineer went on. "But at the end of the day, all those people mean absolutely nothing to me. It's not that way with you." Tony paused, then seemed to realize the light had gone green. He looked embarrassed a moment-- whether because the light had escaped his attention or because he'd just revealed some very personal information, it wasn't clear-- before he pressed his foot to the accelerator.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Tony concluded softly, squeezing the steering wheel tightly.

Well _that_ wasn't typical Tony Stark, Bruce mused. At first he was tempted to ask how inebriated Tony still was and if he shouldn't pull over, but as he studied the billionaire longer, he realized the depth to which Tony meant what he had just said-- Bruce was his friend. Quite possibly one of his only friends. Banner trailed the pad of his thumb over the armrest thoughtfully. He hadn't said as much, but the fact that Tony had asked him to stay several weeks ago had been… heart-warming (that seemed the right adjective for the sensation he'd experienced in his chest). Everyone else either wanted him gone ASAP or wanted to cage him. Tony had broken both molds by merely extending the invitation to stay as long as he wished. But it had been more than offering him a place to stay, it had been an offer of friendship… companionship. Because before that moment, both of them had been without someone to care about.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't know what I'd do without you either," Bruce returned.

Tony's lips turned upward again. "Probably wander around a foreign country eating insects and perpetually smelling like camel shit or something," he joked frankly. "That's about what you did, right?"

Dr. Banner laughed at the innovator's imagined portrayal of his former living conditions. "Yeah, something like that. Along with helping people in need and curing diseases." He paused, lifting an eyebrow to speak with sarcasm-laced humor. "I certainly wouldn't be doing anything important like drinking or dancing or 'clubbing' late into the night."

"First of all," Stark lifted a finger to correct him, "Drinking and dancing are part of clubbing, not their own separate things. So the only thing you can really say you've done so far is clubbing-- this is just the tip of the iceburg, Bruce. Second: Self-indulgence. I mentioned that already, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, around about the same time you were so drunk you had trouble standing," Bruce felt it important to point out, a smile on his lips.

"Didn't have any trouble dancing though," Tony gave him a wink before quickly moving on. "Regardless, I think you deserve some me-time, big guy. Enough with the atonement and altruism act, just focus on what _you_ want for once and _take_ it." The engineer made a motion like snagging something out of the air in front of him.

"What I want, huh…?" Bruce murmured under his breath, drumming his fingers on the armrest of the passenger door. He'd have to think about that. What exactly it _was_ that he wanted. His brown eyes drifted back to the billionaire.

Though, he had to admit, tonight had clarified a few things.


	3. Reckless Faith

Once they returned to Stark Tower, they headed up the elevator to Tony's personal suite, so Bruce could change out of the wet clothes he'd borrowed from the engineer. He hadn't quite decided if he'd go back down to the lab and try to get some more work done, or retire to bed with the warm feeling that tonight had easily been one of the best nights of his life since the accident.

"I do want to thank you again for 'getting me out', Tony," Bruce spoke gratefully as he rebuttoned his purple shirt in front of the full-length mirror of the walk-in closet. It readjusted automatically to let him have a better look at his own appearance-- not a surprising modification for Tony to have made to his personal dressing space; the man was all style. "I haven't had fun like that in years," he admitted.

The billionaire spoke up from where he was waiting in the greater room. "If it's all the same to you, I was thinking we could have a little more fun. You know, before the night is _entirely_ over." There was the sound of bedsprings squeaking.

Dr. Banner tipped his head with fascination. He moved away from the mirror, the lights dimming automatically as he emerged from around the corner. "What did you have in mi--" His words were stolen away (and for that matter his question became answered) at the sight of Tony Stark in the nude, lying on his back in bed, all his former formalwear cast in all directions. The physicist gawked. _That_ was a more normal method to show he cared about him, though decidedly abrupt. Yes, it _had_ been obvious Tony was hitting on him nearly the moment they stepped foot into the bar, and yes, he _was_ aware of Tony's 'track record' when it came to relations of a sexual nature, but even accounting for those two facts, Bruce hadn't expected such a wanton invitation so… soon.

"Sorry, I dressed down, is that alright? I hope it's alright," the innovator spoke quickly, clearly completely unashamed by what he was showing off at the moment-- _and why should he be?_ Bruce noticed, his eyes soaking in the panes of muscles. He was toned and smooth, his pectorals punctuated by dusky nubs, and the rows of his well-defined abs led his gaze straight down a dark happy trail.

His lips were dry, but he managed a retort anyway. "Are you going to tell me this is part of the 'clubbing equation' too?"

"Why not?" Tony grinned, propping himself up on his elbows. "That would at least save me face," his voice dropped to a lower, more seductive tone, "from admitting that I am incredibly, indisputably, _unfathomably_ turned on by you. By what that _mind_ of yours can do..."

Wow. He hadn't ever been told anything quite like that before. Leave it to Tony to equate brains and the bedroom. And the other man wasn't lying, Bruce couldn't dispute it, because the only thing more eye-catching and prominent than the glowing arc reactor in his chest was the lengthy projection between his legs. It was almost ridiculous how the proposition was actually making his heart race. "Listen, Tony…" he started off slowly, apologetically, back to wringing his hands as he had been earlier in the evening, "I think I should let you know that my… condition… doesn't really allow me to get particularly intimate... with _anyone_."

The engineer frowned. "Just like your 'condition' didn't let you go drinking? Or dancing?" he pointed out, now sitting up. "Did I or did I not push you into a pool??" It seemed he had come prepared to have this discussion; he'd possibly even engineered the entire night to lead up to this moment.

"You did, but that's hardly substantiation that sexual relations won't act as a trigger," Dr. Banner argued, gesturing with a hand. God, this was awkward. He tried to keep his eyes on Tony's face, finding that they were incredibly prone to wandering… Bruce couldn't even remember the last time he had seen someone naked before him without it being for medical purposes. Especially not someone so… charismatic.

The billionaire stood, swiftly stalking over to him. "So, let's run some tests… do a little 'experimenting'…" he murmured. Tony was too well aware of his good-looks and silver tongue; Bruce found the other man's hands on his shoulders, fingers deftly massaging them through the fabric of his shirt, involuntarily drawing a low moan out of him. The tips of Tony's fingers were blunt and hardened by callouses thanks to his hands-on approach to work, and they felt good. "C'mon," the engineer purred. There was that little contracted word again, Bruce thought, how many times had he heard it tonight? "Worst that happens is I have to remodel the bedroom," Tony joked.

"No, worst that happens is I hurt you," the physicist spoke firmly, turning out and away from the other man's grip to level a stare at him. Again. _Again_ Tony wasn't taking this seriously. Was ignoring the risks. It went beyond reckless. It made him a little bit angry.

"I have a really hard time believing that," Tony followed up. "Since, you know, you caught me out of the sky hundreds of feet up and nearly threw out your big green back doing so."

Bruce opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't have anything to rebutt with. As hard as it usually was to control the beast inside him, the moment Tony was referring to had had startling clarity. In that moment the two of them had been one in the same. He'd seen Tony in free-fall-- the _Hulk_ had seen him in free-fall-- and there had been zero hesitation, only the instinct to _protect_ the person he cared about, who trusted in him, in them.

As much as he was attracted to the other scientist, he still felt that instinct now. It was the same instinct that was telling him to head for the door and leave his lab partner as just that-- a _lab_ partner and nothing more.

Tony however, took advantage of his silence, moving in on him again. He brought their faces close, such that their noses very nearly touched, and Bruce looked into the brown eyes staring back at him without an iota of fear. "How many times do I have to tell you, Bruce?" Tony whispered with earnest, "There's nothing to worry about."

Though he'd heard the words a handful of times already that evening, it wasn't until now that Bruce actually _listened_. It hit him like a wave of realization. Tony didn't fear him and never had, even from the second they shook hands on board Fury's flying aircraft-carrier. He'd been pushing the boundaries, testing the limits of his restraint ever since.

It wasn't recklessness. It was _faith_. Faith that he had it under control.

Dr. Banner didn't jerk when their mouths then connected; in fact he met the other scientist with a rough passion that quickly involved tangling his fingertips into Tony's hair and urging his head turn sideways so he could claim his mouth with even greater intensity. The engineer gave a somewhat startled noise, but it readily transitioned into one of pleasure; Bruce could have sworn the arc reactor's luminosity increased as well. A couple more swipes of tongue and soon he was toppling the taller male onto the large bed.

"For someone who can't 'get intimate' with others, you sure are a _fantastic_ kisser," Tony lifted an eyebrow, goading him on.

"Maybe I'm finally 'taking what I want'," Dr. Banner assessed as he rapidly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his arms from the sleeves.

Tony's pupils widened, his lips at least for now stilled by what he saw. "Well, I'm glad I want what you want," he spoke quickly with a lick to his lips. His knees parted in his reclined position, and Bruce took the invitation, sliding between them so he could kiss his lab partner firmly to the mattress.

" _You_ are what I want…" he murmured lowly. He wasn't bothering to _think_ anymore, just do. His heart rate was elevated, and it was getting higher by the second, but he focused on the way the hairs of Tony's mustache and beard tickled against his upper lip and chin… on the way Tony's tongue impatiently bat at the front of his teeth, trying to get a sample taste of the inside of his mouth… and the physical sensations seemed to keep the 'monster' at bay. Good. Bruce gave a gruff grunt as he slid his palms a little higher on the bed to support his weight, head dipped low as they made out vigorously with one another like each was starving for air.

Of course Tony Stark took it another step further when his back arched up off the bed, hips canting towards him such that his erection ground against the tweed slacks still on his lower half. "Come on, big guy…" he breathed in a pant, fingers squeezing at his biceps wantingly. "Please don't make me wait any longer…"

Something definitely surged inside him and he straightened to tear off his pants-- though in a decidedly less Hulk-y fashion than his alter ego usually did. "You have a condom?" he inquired.

"Huh?" Tony's eyebrows tilted a couple of times, seeming confused and a little lost due to his lust. "Well… yeah, of course…" He sat up and scooched over to the bedside drawer to rummage around in it. "Used to bring a lot of people back home," he elaborated, "have to protect yourself, hero or not. But I swear I don't have anything." The innovator held a square foil packet out to him with two fingers.

Bruce took it. "Not you. Me. Unless you want to add turning green whenever you get a little miffed into your repertoire," he said wryly as he kicked his pants off.

"Oh," the scientist blinked, the gears in his head obviously turning as he drummed his fingers against the metal implanted in his chest. "No, I think the reactor is 'privilege' enough. Besides, green just isn't my color. I look awful in it."

The physicist chuckled softly, focusing on rolling the latex sheath over his organ-- it wasn't exactly a task he'd performed all that many times in recent years, though it was more or less like riding a bike, you certainly didn't forget. Tony handed him some lubricant next, though the older man still seemed to be cogitating as Bruce worked the substance on. "Didn't realize it transmitted that way too," he commented conversationally, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head as he waited, trying to keep from looking too impatient if Bruce had to guess, but his fidgetting foot gave it away.

The relaxed posture made him lick his lips in anticipation. "Yeah, well, all the more reason not to do this."

"Yet we are," Tony had the gall to point out, a smirk on his face. His knees widened a little more, temptingly.

The physicist made a dismissive noise. "You did ask nicely."

The comeback had Tony grabbing him by the shoulders to pull him onto himself… Bruce felt his partner's nails dig into his skin just slightly and it drew a growl from his lips, which he muffled into the engineer's neck. Tony shuddered, winding his legs around him, aligning himself for the taking-- which was kind of good since it had been so long since Bruce had been involved in the sexual act, but it was coming back to him fast enough. The physicist found his partner's entrance, probing it with the tip of his slick sex-- even with the latex sheath dulling the sensation, he found his heart racing at the imminence of their unison.

"I can't tell if you're taking it slow or being a tease…" Tony gasped out a laugh, bucking needily.

"Why can't it be both?" Bruce murmured, taking a nibble of the other scientist's earlobe. After all night of Tony holding the reigns, calling the shots, now Bruce found himself able to control the situation. And maybe the other guy inside him kind of liked that, he couldn't quite tell, though he felt no threat of his alternate emerging. The physicist pushed forward with his hips and breached the older man, who gave a slight groan at the penetration. It was tight (he questioned if he should be surprised; he'd considered Tony more of a womanizer than anything else, but he supposed he'd have to scratch that now), and Bruce pressed in an inch just to see what his partner would do-- after all, Stark had mentioned experimenting, had he not?

Tony's reaction was a wriggle, trying to get more but disallowed by their positioning. "C-come on, Bruce…" his voice cracked, "I need you… all of you…"

"That's what you'll get…" he promised, and he took a deep breath to compose himself. He lifted a bit so he could watch Tony's face as he gave a gyration of his hips, sinking deeper into the man beneath him but not yet penetrating him fully. "You just have to be patient."

The engineer's fingers curled into his greying locks, tugging them in mixed delight and frustration. "I hate being patient," he admitted, teeth clenched. "Never been my style." He threw his head back. "Oh God, come on… deeper, Bruce…"

"Mm… Tony…" Banner shut his eyes as he did what the older scientist asked. He was so warm on the inside… and so tight… surrounding every inch of him-- he'd practically forgotten how mind-blowing the sensation was. Bruce rolled his hips again, angling deeper, quickly establishing a rhythm. It was hard to keep himself paced and even; he just wanted to ravish the other man beneath him, but he couldn't let things get too out of hand. "Tony…"

"Yeah… fuck…" Stark's eyebrows knotted in the middle, his whole body tensing each time the physicist slid to the hilt. "Say my name again. I like when you say it…"

"Why am I not surprised?" Dr. Banner released a soft chuckle at the show of infamous ego, but he'd oblige it. He dug his toes and knees into the bed, giving a rougher drive, making sure to grit out the other's name loud enough to be heard over the creak of bedsprings and Tony's own little moan, which the innovator tried to muffle by biting into his bottom lip. Bruce found himself smiling, and he dipped down to catch the older scientist's lips with his own. Tony's fingers sprang into his hair once more, cupping his cranium as he returned the kisses and allowed his mouth to open enough for Bruce to slip him just a little tongue in addition to working himself in and out lower on their anatomies. They picked up speed as their jaws clashed, the protestations of the bed increasing in volume, and Bruce could feel sweat beginning to percolate on his hairline.

"Hnngh… Bru-uce…" Tony's voice had a stutter in it as he desperately tried to lift his hips, his erection only managing to lightly scrape the physicist's abdomen. It wasn't the most forthcoming request, but Bruce got the message nonetheless. He slid a hand down Tony's side and gripped his cock to give him the friction he craved.

"I presume this is what you were looking for?" he asked, watching the older man's eyes roll back in his skull as he nodded vigorously.

"'Presume'…" Tony got out a breathless laugh, "why in the world was I thinking you'd drop the formalities when I got you in bed…?"

Bruce chuckled and sped up the motion of his hand, which had his partner gasping and winding the bedsheets in his fingers. His estimate was that it wouldn't take all that much longer to push the innovator over the edge. He was certainly wet enough to support the conclusion; pre-cum allowed him to slide his palm up and over the swollen head with ease, the action drawing desperate whimpers from Tony's lips. Bruce drove himself in harder, feeling his own body tense with excitement-- it had been so long, so goddamn long since he'd gotten this kind of intimacy and closeness to another human being. He'd disallowed himself for so long… This almost didn't feel real. "T-Tony…" he shut his eyes and set his forehead against his lover's.

"Oh God, please don't stop…" the billionaire begged him, "I'm nearly there…"

He had slowed down some, but the prompting caused his head to lift and his eyes to re-open. Tony was lying there beneath him, his body flushed and glistening with perspiration, arc reactor glowing a brilliant blue as it rose and fell in his heaving chest. The sight filled his veins with desire. He thrust with a renewed tempo, feeling a great surge of epinephrine run through his system. Tony's arms shot up to clutch at his shoulders, throwing his head back. "Bruce… Bruce… Bruce!!" he cried out, body contorting as he found his peak. Warm semen spilled over his fingertips and onto the engineer's belly in a couple of bursts until nothing was left.

Bruce didn't even slow down, too near to his own release. His muscles burned as he drove himself hard between the other man's legs, lost in a haze of need. "Tony…" he growled out, voice much deeper and more ragged than it normally was-- at least, when he wasn't Hulked out. With a final culminating rut, he went rigid and loosed himself into the other man's insides with half a roar.

The pleasure gradually eked away and when it ceased, Bruce collapsed down on top of his partner. His relief was practically indescribable. Endorphins were running amok in his brain, giving him a high that made it feel like he was floating. For a moment he reveled in it, burying his face in his partner's neck, panting against the sweat-slicked skin. The engineer's deft fingers trailed up and down his back affectionately.

"Got a little green around the edges towards the end there, big guy…" Tony said breathlessly into his ear.

Bruce shot up. He stared down at his own fingertips, splayed out and stark against the white bedsheets. His hands were tinged green past his wrists, nearly up to his forearms, but they hadn't begun to increase in size. He hadn't even realized he'd been that close to losing control. Immediately a sense of panic and resentment began to fill him. "Oh God. I'm sorry, I--"

"Don't be," Tony cut him off. "It was kind of hot." He paused half a beat, changing his mind and rapidly correcting himself. "Incredibly hot. Mind-blowing-ly hot." A grin cracked across his features and he lifted his top half to deliver a kiss right to the edge of Bruce's mouth. "Told you there was nothing to worry about."

"You _weren't_ worried? Not even for an instant?" Bruce asked incredulously as he pulled away. He could scarcely believe it. Color started to drain from his hands as his heart rate slowed.

"Nah," the engineer shrugged. There was that unwavering faith again. He smiled at him meaningfully. "Losing a little control isn't losing it completely."

There was something deeply wise within the almost playful words that left Bruce a little dumbstruck. Tony was right, he hadn't fully lost control, so no harm had been done. Just like there had been no harm in him leaving the tower laboratory and going out to the club for the evening. Tony seemed to have known that from the beginning, far before Bruce had. The physicist shook his head in chagrin as he stood up. "I guess you're right." He reached down to pluck the condom off his shrinking length and tied a knot in it. "So, I don't suppose you have any receptacles for bio-hazardous waste up here?" he coughed lightly.

Tony laughed out loud, slapping a knee. "Christ, Bruce. Could you get any _more_ loveably dorky?" He motioned a hand dismissively. "We'll take it downstairs to the lab in a second. I can't believe you." The innovator stood to clean himself off and begin dressing. "Guess this is what I get for sleeping with an enormous green rage monster," he called from the bathroom.

"Sorry," Banner apologized again, but this time he had a small smile on his face. He began to pick up his clothing from the floor, shaking the wrinkles out of the articles. Tony's ability to instantly dispell his concerns and misgivings with flippant humor was uncanny; Bruce didn't know how he did it. He continued to mull it over as he slipped his boxers and pants back on. It was like Tony's boundless vivacity made everything less serious, even the threat of the Hulk. He slipped his arms back into the sleeves of his shirt and began buttoning.

A couple short minutes later Tony emerged, throwing a tank top over his head before giving him a look of seriousness. "By the way, just for the record, you were much better at this than I expected. I had you pegged _all_ wrong."

Bruce afforded him a little laugh, not sure if he should take the words as a compliment. "I wasn't as rusty as I initially conjectured," he said plainly. Admittedly, he'd surprised himself with his own vigor a little too. He placed his glasses on his nose and looked at the man over the top of them. "Can I ask just how _long_ you'd been imagining this?"

"Does every day since the day I met you sound like too slutty of an answer?" Tony asked, smirking lopsidedly as he stepped into a pair of pants.

"Wow, you showed some impressive restraint then," Bruce teased.

Tony merely stuck his tongue out at him in rebuttal. "Come on, let's go take your 'gamma sample' down to the lab," he jabbed, doing a quick spin on his heel.

So maybe Tony's faith was a little reckless.

But that was okay.


End file.
